Posted on 07/03/2020 9:27:08 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: Sharp telescopic views of NGC 3628 show a puffy galactic disk divided by dark dust lanes. Of course, this deep portrait of the magnificent, edge-on spiral galaxy puts some astronomers in mind of its popular moniker, the Hamburger Galaxy. It also reveals a small galaxy nearby, likely a satellite of NGC 3628, and a faint but extensive tidal tail. The drawn out tail stretches for about 300,000 light-years, even beyond the right edge of the wide frame. NGC 3628 shares its neighborhood in the local universe with two other large spirals M65 and M66 in a grouping otherwise known as the Leo Triplet. Gravitational interactions with its cosmic neighbors are likely responsible for creating the tidal tail, as well as the extended flare and warp of this spiral's disk. The tantalizing island universe itself is about 100,000 light-years across and 35 million light-years away in the northern springtime constellation Leo.
Wow! Those pictures are out of this world!
But, nothing out there but us chickens..............
Love pictures of space. It’s a great way to humble yourself.
Hubble is amazing. I hope that some private entity / billionaire will take it over, upgrade, and continue. Soon, NASA, in its infinite wisdom, will stop supporting it. NASA has already spent tens of billions on the next orbiting telescope, and it is mainly infrared.
Here is another, very recent Hubble photo. What I find so cool, amazing, is that this galaxy in the photo just happens to be in the position that Hubble, in its position, can get such a view, like we are over the galaxy at this moment. Enjoy.
https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2020/hubble-spots-feathered-spiral
Thanks for the link! that was an unusual image.
*APOD ping*
The Hamburger Galaxy, near the Fries Nebula.
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